THE BUTTON BOX

Clara Carter and her sisters. Lizzie, Betsy and Jane, lost their mother to polio, which left Jane a cripple. Their father Alfred is addicted to drink and gambling, and in trouble with the vicious East End gang run by a ruthless French woman, Patches Bragg. Clara has been stepping out with handsome, enigmatic Luke Foyle, but she dislikes his association with the Skinner gang, who are at war with everyone including Patches.

Clara works for Miss Silver who owns a drapery in Covent Garden, but Miss Silver dies suddenly, leaving her business premises to Clara. At the funeral Clara meets talented violinist, Nathanial Silver, who should have inherited the shop, but he has ambitions to study at the Conservatoire in Paris. They become friends, but a chance meeting with Joss Comerford the son of Lizzie's employer, leads Clara to believe that now is the time to further her long held ambition to own a department store. Unable to persuade him to mend his ways, Clara finishes with Luke Foyle.

Clara finds a suitable premises in Oxford Street and becomes involved with the owner, the eccentric and domineering Lady Garland Quinn. Alfred Carter has to flee London to escape the gangs, and the Carter sisters move into the dilapidated shop premises, but discover that they have a sitting tenant – Gertrude Batt – a mysterious woman escaping from a shady past. The shop is not an immediate success and Joss persuades Clara to accompany him to Paris to see how their stores operate. Nathanial, already a good friend, is now studying there.

Gertrude says she lived in Paris and accompanies Clara and Joss, but, rebuffed by Clara he deserts them, leaving them alone and penniless. Gertrude disappears without trace and Clara wanders the streets looking for her. She finds herself in a glamorous department store, where Sabine, a young shop assistant, takes pity on her and Clara is given a menial job. With the help of Sabine and her fiancé they continue the search for Gertrude, who has been kidnapped by Patches Bragg. Clara visits Patches' Paris apartment and discovers to her horror that Luke is working for the gang.

Following a tip off, Clara, Sabine and Paul travel to the coast where Patches owns a run-down chateau. There they find Gertrude, drugged and imprisoned. Luke arrives to warn them that the gang are closing in, and he helps them to take Gertrude to safety. Clara is confused as to her feelings for Luke, but still believes he is a criminal, and even worse, that he is Patches' son. They return to London where Clara sets to work to make the store a success. The girls' father returns from the country and Patches descends on London, but is caught when she storms into the store accusing Lady Quinn of stealing the infant who was taken from her many years ago. Alfred Carter reveals the truth at last. Patches' stillborn baby was swapped at birth for the child born to a young unmarried Garland Batt, now Lady Quinn, but the boy was raised by foster parents in London to become Detective Inspector Luke Foyle. Mother and son are reunited. Clara and Luke finally admit their love for each other.

Dilly Court grew up in North East London and began her career working in television. She is married with two grown up children and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast.

2016 was the year of Dilly Court Year at HarperCollins and they published three titles all with stunning new packaging and major promotions. THE RAGGED ROSE was on the bestseller list for several weeks and reached an all-time high of number 2! The next novel THE SWAN MAID has to date sold over 80k copies and was on the bestseller list for several weeks. The year ended with THE CHRISTMAS CARD being the bestseller of all.